Double Check
by Rionarch
Summary: Getting organized is tough. Slight Masters/Chase overtures. Chase, Martha Masters.


Title: Double Check

Fandom: House M.D.

Characters: Martha Masters, Robert Chase. Slight romance.

Word Count: 671

Rating: PG

Summary: Getting organized is tough.

Disclaimer: I don't own House or anything afflicted.

Author's Notes: Set right after "Down the Chute".

Somewhere in that mess of papers had to be her supervising report. Doctor House's mail system was mind boggling and mildly insulting; she had found in his "new" pile a letter from Cuba, three get well cards, an invitation to a baptism, and bills from a XXX erotica shop. All of them were dated within the past eight months, intermingled and formerly unopened. She needed to have that report signed and in by the next week or her credit credentials would be called into question and voided.

The messy stacks of paper due to her whiplash would be cleaned but were a necessary ( dare she think it?) evil for her work.

"Well, we owe Taub twenty dollars. Never would have expected such an organized breakdown." Martha turned around and saw Doctor Chase standing in the office with an amused look on his face.

"I'm not defacing his property. I just needed-" He grinned some more and stood with his arms crossed.

"No, go ahead. Frankly he might be more frightened just to see his papers a mess. Might want to tone it done a little. He might have a high paranoia again." She gave up looking and slammed his mail down into the bin again. No matter how she straightened it out Doctor House would know something was changed. She would simply have to explain it in the morning.

"Would you happen to know where House keeps his important paperwork?" Doctor Chase had been there the longest. He _had_ to know something.

"No. Cameron took all the mail keeping secrets with her when she left. In a hurry to make sure House dotted his Is and crossed his Ts on your term report?" Oh, he knew. He probably knew where it was hidden, too.

"Somewhat. Would you please-"

"You're in an awful rush to get your credit done here. There were people willing to dig up graves to work for House." He was pacing back and forth making her nervous. Like she was a school girl about to get in trouble with a teacher- that had never happened before.

"Disturbing. But I've taken warnings into consideration and found that it would be..best for me to leave House's team as soon as possible. Not that it's anything against your character!" Always the wrong thing to say. Doctor Chase's grin got even wider, if possible. It took on smirkish qualities. It was a facial expression she was quickly coming to understand the use of.

"You've done something wrong or stupid. Probably both." Yes. I had just asked a sick patient for dinner after saying he can't have sex for a while.

"Nothing." And another mark against her character. Martha knew immediately that it was a weak answer and cringed. The beat passed and they spoken together in a well rehearsed fashion.

"Everybody lies."

"You can relax. Stuff like that is actually taken care of. All of your flaws, lack of growth, ineptitudes- House is exceptionally good at that side of paperwork." He was walking close to her and resorted the mail. It looked almost passable for the mess that Doctor House had left it in.

"That is not a comforting thought."

"It wasn't meant to be." Doctor Chase didn't say anything more after adjusting her mess to look less like someone had rifled through their boss' desk. Something that was on par with what she had been against at the beginning of her pseudo employment.

Doctor Chase did not do anything more and exited the office looking ready to go home or to bar and then go home _with_ somebody.

For a few hours that day everything was absolutely charming. Lane's heat inspiring accent drifted through the voices of her collogues all day; over Foreman's sarcasm and Taub's nasally words. Being here made her feel like, by compression, she could get away with anything. It was time to go.

Martha watched Doctor Chase stroll back through the hallways with a candy pack in his hands and wondered why her brain liked voice more than morals.


End file.
